1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing a web based service account, and more particularly, to a method and system that may protect privacy of a user using a web based service by protecting a particular user or a particular group undesired to be exposed to others.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a web based email service being currently used, when an identification (ID) and a password of a corresponding user are entered, any user can read a mail transmitted from or to the corresponding user. In addition, in the current web based email service, when the ID and the password are entered, any user can read IDs or nicknames of people being registered by the corresponding user. In this case, information regarding people with whom the corresponding user has been corresponding mails, contents of the mails, people with whom the corresponding user has had a conversion through a messenger, and the like may be easily exposed to others. Even though a password input is required to prevent the exposure, a corresponding password may be compulsorily or erroneously known. In this case, information of people associated with a user using a web based service and contents corresponded between the people and the user may be exposed to others.
Accordingly, there is a desire for an account management apparatus and method that may protect privacy of a user by protecting information undesired to be exposed to others.